LIFE AFTER RACING

Amanda Ross on Koko Popping Candy (Image courtesy of Geoff McLean, Gone Riding Media).

#LifeAfterRacing

The scandal and shockwaves from the revelations about the racing industry are creating pressure for real and positive change, writes CANDIDA BAKER

In the intensely emotional arena of horse welfare, nothing is easy, and there is much work to be done before racehorses – and all horses – can be assured of lives that are cruelty-free. Here at HorseVibes we are happy to say that we know of so many people who have chosen ex-racehorses, both Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds as their equine companions post their racing lives, that we’ve decided we would like to celebrate those beautiful horses – the ones that reach for the stars, and those who may simply be your best friend forever as a companion horse. (See the bottom of the page for details.)

For decades, before the rising popularity of the Warmblood as a performance horse, Thoroughbreds were the absolute backbone of every equestrian Olympic discipline in this country, but there are still competitors out there who have taken Off The Track racehorses to even more stellar careers, and Amanda Ross, with her beautiful mare Koko Popping Candy, otherwise known as Zarzy, is an example of one of the best.

Out of Moonlight Tango (sired by Luskinstar), by Bianconi, in the past two months alone, this 12-year-old black mare months has won the Werribee CCI 4* three-day-event and come second in the Canberra CCI 4*. Last year the pair placed 8th at the highly competitive prestigious Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

Amanda, rated 49th in the FEI Eventing World Ranking Ratings, has commented that she’s been lucky with Zarzy, and that due to her easy-going nature, she’s a chilled horse. Nevertheless the hard work and dedication required to take an ex-racehorse to one of the top eventing horses in the world is an amazing achievement.

We think this beautiful photograph of Koko Popping Kandy with Amanda, taken by Geoff McLean from Gone Riding Media, sums up what hard work, trust and that special partnership bond can create.

In my role as President of a small equine charity, Equus Alliance, and as someone who has personally taken on numerous Off The Track horses over the past 40 years, I know that life out there post racing is not rosy for far too many horses.

Here at HorseVibes, as a team, what we feel needs saying is that many of the welfare issues facing the racing industry – both Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds – are also true for all horses in Australia. HorseVibes supports whole-heartedly the need for a national registration scheme for all horses; the need for improved regulations re breeding, transport and welfare standards across the board and a much higher standard of accountability for the entire equine industry.

However, we are also very aware of the changes that the various racing bodies and concerned trainers and breeders have been putting in place to ensure that there is life after racing for their beautiful thoroughbreds, and that many of the initiatives put in place over the past few years have the welfare of the racehorse as their primary concern.

The fact is that individuals CAN make a difference. We feel so strongly about #lifeafterracing, and we know that so many of you out there love your ex-racehorses we are asking everybody who has a photo of their ex-racehorse, to post a photo and a short paragraph on the HorseVibes facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/horsevibes/

Show us your horses, give us your stories. We’ll announce some Christmas gifts for the top ten, and publication of the best photos and stories for the December issue, just in time to celebrate Christmas with your OTT friend.